Thursday 21 June at HOME, Manchester

Two FREE events before and after a screening of Human Flow by Ai Weiwei: ‘Migrant Frontiers’ and ‘Hostile Detainment’, both with a strong political agenda and dedicated to the hunger strike at Yarl’s Wood detention centre by over 100 detainees just two months ago. They are taking place at HOME, a leading arts centre in Manchester, on Thurs 21st June 2018.

Hostile Detainment

A semi-enacted political protest ‘action’ before the Human Flow film, highlighting the injustice of immigration detention and a tribute to the 120 women on hunger strike during March this year. The UK has one of the largest detention estates in Europe and also some of the harshest, most abusive and inhumane treatment of people simply in need of refuge. This event is migrant justice in the front seat interwoven with creative support in the rear, led by These Walls Must Fall campaign and marking 20 years of Virtual Migrants’ arts activism. The event’s title critically resonates with the notorious ‘Hostile Environment’ policies of the current government.

Migrant Frontiers

In conversation with veteran campaigner Tony Openshaw, Mariam Yusuf of Women Asylum Seekers Together and the These Walls Must Fall campaign, artist-filmmaker Kooj Chuhan, and other guests to be announced.

Live poetry from Sai Murray with musical backing will punctuate the discussion. The panel will reflect on the Human Flow film, the injustice of immigration detention, the history of migrant justice and the work of Virtual Migrants who are marking 20 years of art and activism. In the light of recent trends mostly against people who need to migrate, what have the last 30 years of campaigning shown us? Where do the arts and creative practices position themselves? What are the realities of hope? The title of the event ‘Migrant Frontiers’ draws on Virtual Migrants’ groundbreaking exhibition Terminal Frontiers first exhibited in 2002.